هل آجِلٌ ممّا أُؤمِّلُ عاجِلُ

أرجو زماناً والزمانُ حُلاحِل

Is what I hope for nearer than what I await?

I long for a time, yet time slides away.

وأعَزُّ مفْقُودٍ شبابٌ عائِدٌ

من بعدِ ما ولّى وإلْفٌ واصلُ

The dearest of lost things is returning youth,

After turning its back and parting.

ما أحسَنَ الدّنْيا بشَمْلٍ جامِعٍ

لكنّها أُمُّ البَنينَ الثّاكِلُ

How good is the world when united,

Yet it is the mother who abandons her sons.

جرَتِ اللّيالي والتّنائي بينَنَا

أُمُّ الليّالي والتّنائي هابِلُ

The nights have passed and estranged us,

Mother of nights and estrangement.

فكأنّمَا يوْمٌ ليومٍ طاردٌ

وكأنّمَا دَهْرٌ لدَهْرٍ آكل

It is as if each day chases the next,

And each era consumes the next.

أعَلى الشّبابِ أم الخليطِ تَلَدُّدي

هذا يُفارِقُني وذاك يُزايِل

Do my alternating youth and maturity sadden me,

One leaves me, the other accompanies me?

في كلِّ يوْمٍ أسْتَزيدُ تجارِباً

كم عالمٍ بالشيءِ وهو يُسائِلُ

Each day I gain more experience,

How learned is one who still asks!

ما العِيسُ ترحلُ بالقِبابِ حميدةً

لكنّهَا عَصْرُ الشبابِ الراحلُ

The Pleiades do not travel west, shining,

But it is the sunset of departing youth.

ما الخمْرُ إلاّ ما تُعَتِّقُهُ النّوَى

أوْ أُختُهَا ممّا تُعَتِّقُ بابل

Wine is only what date palms and grapes release,

While wine from Babylon and serpents is fatal.

فمزاجُ كأسِ البابِلِيّةِ أوْلَقٌ

ومِزاجُ تلك دمُ الأفاعي القاتل

I passed the dwellings in anguish,

With my companion who is not here asking about them.

ولقد مَرَرْتُ على الدّيارِ بمَنْعِجٍ

وبها الذي بي غيرَ أنّي السّائل

The two encampments confronted each other,

One in the hardy striking of swords, the other tranquil.

فَتَوافَقَ الطَّلَلانِ هذا دارسٌ

في بُرْدَتَيْ عَصْبٍ وهذا ماثل

One erased the landmarks with shedding blood,

The other with a downpour and floods.

فَمَحا مَعالمَ ذا نجيعٌ سافكٌ

ومحا مَعالِمَ ذا مُلِثٌّ وابل

O house, you resembled the necklaces though

The beads scattered and the strings broke.

يا دارُ أشبَهَتِ المها فيكِ المَهَا

والسِّرْبَ إلاّ أنّهُنَّ مَطافل

The winds shed your wings' pearls

As ornaments for the hills with aloes' fragrance.

نَضَحَتْ جوانحَكِ الرّياحُ بلؤلؤ

للطَّلِّ فيه رَدْعُ مِسْكٍ جائل

You came to have a torn pocket,

With panting breath and ever-flowing tears.

وغَدَتْ بجْيبٍ فيكِ مشقوقٍ لها

نَفَسٌ تُرَدِّدُهُ ودَمْعٌ هامل

If only you could be as you were, with gazelles

Grazing freely, and camels bleating playfully.

هَلاّ كعهدِكِ والأراكُ أرائِكٌ

والأثلُ بانٌ والطُّلُولُ خمائل

For that valley was a canal, and tongues recited poetry,

And dwellings were gathering places and assemblies,

إذ ذلك الوادي قَناً وأسِنّةٌ

وإذِ الدّيارُ مَشاهدٌ ومحافل

With frowning, lamp-bearing, horse-riding women,

And singing, laughing, flirting beloveds,

وعوابسٌ وقَوانِسٌ وفَوارِسٌ

وكوانسٌ وأوانسٌ وعقائل

As the bonfires spent the night kindled for a tribe,

With the son of Hayjaa chanting poetry.

وإذِ العِراصُ تبيتُ يَسحَبُ لأمَةً

فيها ابنُ هَيْجاءٍ ويصفِنُ صاهل

Morning cups and evening wine were passed around,

With singing, declaiming, and passion.

وتَضِجُّ أيْسارٌ ويَصْدَحُ شاربٌ

وتَرِنُّ سُمّارٌ ويَهْدِرُ جامل

Away with nights of sleeplessness for us, yet not

Nights of heavy cloudbursts for the few!

بُعْداً للَيْلاتٍ لنا أفِدَتْ ولا

بَعُدَتْ لَيالٍ بالغميمِ قلائل

Our life was like the days of Ja'far,

When justice smiled and complainers were few.

إذ عيْشُنَا في مثْلِ دولَةِ جَعفَرٍ

والعَدْلُ فيها ضاحكٌ والنّائل

We call it a sword, yet death is its edge,

The implements of war, and the army its sheath.

ندعوهُ سيْفاً والمنيّةُ حَدُّهُ

وسِنانَ حَرْبٍ والكتيبةُ عامل

If not for the remainder of his justice,

There would be no fair judgment in the world.

هذا الذي لولا بقيّة عدلِهِ

ما كان في الدنيا قضاءٌ عادل

If God were to give hearts his affection,

Or his gentleness, it would bring the slain killer to life.

لو أشْرَبَ اللّهُ القلوبَ حَنانَهُ

أو رِفْقَهُ أحْيا القتيلَ القاتل

If every leader of a people were like him,

No era of change would topple regimes.

ولوَ انّ كلَّ مُطاعِ قومٍ مثلُه

ما غَيّرَ الدَّوْلاتِ دَهرٌ دائل

If anyone knows Ja'far as I know him,

No living, speaking soul in the world is ignorant of him.

إن كان يعْلَمُ جَعْفَراً عِلمي بِهِ

بَشَرٌ فليس على البسيطَةِ جاهل

His day is spent piercing the vile, reconciling,

Judging wisely, resolving assemblies.

يَوْماهُ طَعْنٌ في الكريهةِ فَيصَلٌ

أبداً وحُكْمٌ في المَقامَةِ فاصل

A hero, when he wished, adorned his lance

With blood, while lances around him were idle.

بطَلٌ إذا ما شاءَ حَلّى رُمْحَهُ

بدَمٍ وقُرِّبَ منْهُ رُمحٌ عاطل

He gave abundantly, belittling his gifts,

So dawns blushed and clouds bore them.

أعطى فأكثرَ واستَقَلَّ هِباتِهِ

فاسْتَحْيَتِ الأنواءُ وهي هوامل

The name of the clouds is his, and he is like Kanahoor,

While the names of seas are his rivulets.

فاسمُ الغمامِ لديه وهو كَنَهْوَرٌ

آلٌ وأسماءُ البحورِ جداول

If not for the vastness of the horizons’ directions,

The delights and virtues would not have room for him.

لولا اتّساعُ مذاهبِ الآفاقِ مَا

وسِعَتْ له فيها لُهىً وفواضل

If this silent one does not awake

From what I see, this patient one will perish.

إن لَجّ هذا الوَدْقُ منه ولم يُفِقْ

عمّا أرى هذا الصَّبيرُ الوابل

A request will be lost and a seeker fail,

Hopes diminish and dreamers vanish.

فسينقضي طَلَبٌ ويُفقَدُ طالبٌ

وتَقِلُّ آمالٌ ويُعْدَمُ آملُ

His nature is generosity, and rainclouds rarely

Blow evil winds and are barren.

شِيَمٌ مَخِيلَتُها السَّماحُ وقَلّما

تَهْمي سحابٌ ما لهنَّ مَخايل

They came willingly while winds were still,

And cleared while clouds were abstaining.

هّبتْ قَبُولاً والرّياحُ رَوَاكِدٌ

وأتَتْ سماءً والغيومُ غَوافل

Ambitions carry him, so eyes ambitious

For the highest goals diminish the necks of competitors.

تَسْمو به العَينُ الطَّموحُ إلى التي

تَفنى الرِّقابُ بها ويَفْنى النائل

He looked at enemies with a first glance,

At which their power and joints weakened.

نَظَرَتْ إلى الأعداءِ أوّلَ نَظْرَةٍ

فَتَزَايَلَتْ منْهُ طُلىً ومَفاصل

And looked at the world with another equal glance,

At which it was apportioned among people as an extra.

وثَنَتْ إلى الدنيا بأُخرى مثلِها

فتقسَّمَتْ في النّاسِ وهي نَوافل

No land was devoid of his influence, no tongue

Failed to thank what he bestowed, speaking of him.

لم تَخْلُ أرضٌ من نَداهُ ولا خلا

من شكْرِ ما يولي لسانٌ قائل

He mounted his steed, but did not take a step

Unless the shoulders of countries knelt before him.

وطىءَ المحُولَ فلم يُقدِّمْ خطوةً

إلاّ وأكنْافُ البِلادِ خَمائِل

He saw the barefoot, but did not allow them a moment

Unless the trains of riding camels and their tails submitted.

ورأى العُفاةَ فلمْ يَزِدْهُمْ لحظَةً

إلاّ وكِيرانُ المَطِيِّ وذائل

After hardship, resolves come to him

For which fires are kindled after the dawn.

تأتي له خَلفَ الخُطوبِ عزائِمٌ

تُذكَى لها خلفَ الصّباحِ مشاعل

It is as if they are clouds on souls

And snares upon hearts.

فكأنّهُنّ على العُيونِ غَياهِبٌ

وكأنّهُنّ على النّفوسِ حبائل

Decisive women, with no hesitation ahead

Or thought of retreat, like swooping eagles.

المُدركاتُ عدُوَّهُ ولوَ انّهُ

قَمَرُ السّماءِ لَهُ النُّجومُ مَعاقِل

The attainments are his enemies, even if

He is the moon, with the stars as strongholds.

وإذا عُقابُ الجَوِّ هَدْهَدَ رِيشَها

صَعِقَتْ شواهِينٌ لها وأجادل

When the hawk of the air shook its feathers,

Thunderbolts fell dumb before it.

مَلِكٌ إذا صَدِئَتْ عليهِ دروعُهُ

فلها من الهَيجاء يومٌ صاقل

A king, when his armor was polished,

It had a day of heating by flame.

وإذا الدّماءُ جَرَتْ على أطْواقها

فمن الدِّماءِ لها طَهورٌ غاسل

When blood flowed on its sides,

It had from that blood a cleansing torrent.

مُلِئَتْ قلوبُ الإنسِ منه مهابَةً

وأطاعَهُ جِنُّ الصَّريمِ الخابل

The hearts of mankind were filled with awe of him,

And supernatural jinn obeyed his compelling cry.

فإذا سمِعتَ على البِعادِ زَئِيرَهُ

فاذهَبْ فقد طَرَقَ الهِزَبْرُ الباسل

So when you hear his roar in the distance,

Know the formidable lion has arrived.

لو يَدَّعِيهِ غيرُ حيٍّ ناطِقٍ

لَغَدَتْ أسودُ الغَابِ فيه تجادل

If other than a living, speaking being claimed him,

The beasts of the wild would dispute it.

تَنْسَى له فُرسانَها قَيسٌ ولمْ

تَظلِمْ وتُعرِضُ عن كُلَيبٍ وائل

Qais and others are forgotten for his horsemen,

While Kulayb and others are not wronged.

هَجَماتُ عَزْمٍ ما لهُنّ مُقابلٌ

وجِهاتُ عَزْمٍ ما لهُنّ مُخاتِل

Attacks of resolve have no equal,

And directions of resolve have no opponents.

فانهَض بأعْباءِ الخِلافَةِ كلِّهَا

إنّ المُحَمَّلَهُنَّ عَودٌ بازل

Take on the burdens of the caliphate entirely,

For the one who carries them has a strong back.

ولقد تكونُ لكَ الأسِنّةُ مَضْجَعاً

حتى كأنّكَ من حِمامِك غافل

Censuring tongues may be your resting place,

Though their zeal is mere confusion and raving.

تَغْدو على مُهَج الليوثِ مُجاهِراً

حتى كأنّكَ مِنْ بِدارٍ خاتل

You marched despite a throng of mourners

And a cloudburst, darkness, and slippery ground.

تلكَ الخلافَةُ هاشمٌ أربابُهَا

والدِّينُ هاديها وأنتَ الكاهل

Torrents flowed with no shelter,

And seas raged with no coast.

هل جاءها بالأمسِ منكَ على النوى

يومٌ كيومكَ للمسامع هائل

You marched on, and the clouds followed with their rain,

As if, wherever you were, contending with you.

وسُرَاكَ لا تَثنيكَ حِدَّةُ مأتَمٍ

رُجُفٌ نَوادِبُهُ وخَبْلٌ خابِل

Proceeding, it was as if the rain spout of your coat of mail

Were hands extended, and your hands filled with bounty.

وقد التَقَتْ بِيدٌ وقطرٌ صائبٌ

ومسالكٌ دُعْجٌ وليلٌ لائل

Behind your sword, deadly sharp,

And before it, an army whose positions are for God’s army.

وجَرَتْ شِعابٌ ما لهُنَّ مَذانِبٌ

وطَمَتْ بحارٌ ما لهنّ سَواحل

With horses neighing, riders handling lances,

The Ansaris competing and reconciling.

تَمْضي ويَتبَعُكَ الغَمامُ بوَبْلِهِ

فكأنّهُ لك حيثُ كنتَ مُساجل

It was as if the plateaus wereeting you with blond spear shafts

And the young camels with slender spear shafts.

سارٍ كأنّ قتيرَ دِرعِكَ فوقَهُ

كُففَاً وجُودُ يَدَيكَ منه هامل

As if you came from the heavens,

And were returning to the heavens.

ووراءَ سيفكَ مُصلَتاً وأمامَهُ

جيشٌ لجيش اللّه فيه منَازل

The celestial spheres above you

Were like crescents subservient to you.

مُثْعَنْجَرٌ يَبرينُ فيهِ وعالِجٌ

والأخشَبانِ مُتالِعٌ ومُواسِل

The White Fort with you has sharp swords,

And the line of Ghassan has flashing blades.

فكأنّما الهَضَبَاتُ منه أجارعٌ

وكأنّما البُكراتُ منه أصائِل

The lions, all lions with you, are horsemen,

And all the land with you has judges.

وكأنّما هُوَ منْ سَماءٍ خارجٌ

وكأنّما هو في سَماءٍ داخِل

Tongues extinguish for you the planets’ flames,

And meteors change the horizons.

تلتَفُّ خُرْصانُ العَوالي فوقَهُ

فكأنّما الآفاقُ منْهُ خَمائِل

Like lightning in its burst of clouds,

With thunderbolts and joining flashes.

والحِيرَةُ البيضاءُ فيه صَوارِمٌ

والخطُّ من غَسّانَ فيه ذوابل

One blood like enduring rain, but this

Is wholly piercing, while that is a downpour.

والأُسْدُ كلُّ الأُسْدِ فيه فَوارِسٌ

والأرضُ كلُّ الأرضِ فيه قَساطل

With it are the white-bladed swords that make

Some gush blood and others despair.

تُطْفي له شُعَلَ النُّجوم أسِنّةٌ

ويُغَيِّرُ الآفاقَ منه غَياطل

Birds that have no vanguards

Or rear guards, polestars or celestial bodies.

كالمُزْنِ يَدلحُ فالرُّعودُ غَماغِمٌ

في حَجرْتَيْهِ والبُروقُ منَاصل

As if supplied for them were shelters,

And roaring camels bellowed for them.

فدَمٌ كَقَطْرٍ صائبٍ لكِنّ ذا

بجميعِهِ طَلٌّ وهَذا وابل

Keen, knowing only raiding,

Swooping down on the puppets.

فيه المذاكي كلُّ أجْرَدَ صِلدِمٍ

يَدمَى نَساً منه ويَشْخُبُ فائل

Chasing from fore and aft,

Like swooping eagles and arrows.

مِنْ طائِراتٍ ما لهُنّ قَوادِمٌ

أو مُقْرَباتٍ ما لهنّ أياطل

Stamping in the arena of destruction,

The zebras, plunging and rising steeply.

فكأنّما عَشَمَتْ لهنّ مرافِقٌ

وكأنّما زَفَرَتْ لهُنَّ مَراكِل

It was as if the plateaus were their running steeds,

And the young camels their yearlings kept close.

أللاء لا يَعْرِفْنَ إلاّ غَارَةً

شَعْواءَ فهي إلى الكُماةِ صواهل

As if they came forth from a heaven,

And were returning to a heaven.

اللاحِقاتُ وراءَهَا وأمامَها

فكأنّهُنّ جَنائبٌ وشَمائل

The celestial orbits above them

Were like their crescents.

مُقْوَرَّةٌ يكْرَعنَ في حوض الردى

وِرْدَ القَطا في البِيدِ وهي نواهل

The whiteness, the darkness,

The brilliant and obscuring gloom.

فالنَّجْدُ في لَهَواتِها والغورُ وال

فلَقُ المُلَّمعُ والظّلامُ الحائل

Glory meets glory in their open spaces,

With processions coming and going.

والمجدُ يلقى المجْدَ بين فُرُوجِهَا

ذا راحِلٌ مَعَها وهذا قافل

Until you arrived and settled among the tents,

Their peaks became as their bottoms.

حتى أنَخْتَ على الخِيامِ إناخَةً

فَغَدَتْ أعالِيهِنَّ وهي أسافل

O Lord of the valley you once left

With its crickets singing mournfully!

يا رُبَّ وادٍ يومَ ذاكَ تركْتَهُ

وقطينُهُ فيه أتِيٌّ سائلُ

You took it suddenly and burst open its hills,

So springs flowed beneath them.

فاجَأتَهُ مَحْلاً وفجَّرْتَ الطُّلى

فجَرَتْ مَحانٍ تحتَه وجداول

You trod between its groves and dens,

Destroying its encampments and alarming the timid.

ووطِئتَ بينَ كِناسِهِ وعرينِهِ

فأُصيبَ خادِرُهُ ورِيعَ الخاذل

You left it to die in its yards,

Truth, while hopes’ delusions are false.

غادَرْتَهُ والموتُ في عَرَصاتِهِ

حَقٌّ وتضْليلُ الأماني باطِل

Carrion-eaters wavered over it and wandered,

While moaning doves and owls cried in lament.

تَمْكو عليه فرائصٌ وتَرائِبٌ

وتَرِنُّ فيه سواجِعٌ وثواكل

Neither did fire kindle its chambers,

But your horses raced through, plunging in attack.

لا النّارُ أذكَتْ حَجْرَتَيْهِ وإنّما

مَزَعَتْ جيادُكَ فيه وهي جوافل

You saw no opinion as right

Except your view in perplexities, every other erring.

لا رأيَ إلاّ ما رأيتَ صَوابَهُ

في المُشكِلاتِ وكلُّ رأيٍ فائِل

If the unseen could be known

To mortals, the wise and rational would know it.

لو كان للغَيْبِ المُستَّرِ مُدرِكٌ

في النّاسِ أدركَهُ اللّبيبُ العاقِل

The resolute hero struggles with himself,

So you see him, though he is compromising.

والحازمُ الدّاهي يُكابِدُ نفْسَهُ

أعداءَهُ فتراهُ وهو مُجامل

The secrets he intends and strives for

Nearly escape even his conscience.

ويكادُ يَخفَى عن بَناتِ ضميرِهِ

مكتومُ ما هو مُبتَغٍ ومحاول

Go forth, and you will never lack white swords

To advance with, or dark swords to strike with.

إذهَبْ فلا يَعْدمك أبيضُ صارمٌ

تَسْطو به قِدْماً وأسمَرُ ذابل

The nights will not be stripped of you, but rather

Adorned with you, while those passing are barren.

لا عُرّيَتْ منكَ الليالي إنّهَا

بك حُلِّيَتْ والذّاهباتُ عواطِل

Without you, what are the Arabs

But flocks taken together, and a ruined house?

ما العُربُ لولا أنْتَ إلاّ أيْنُقٌ

زُمّتْ لِطِيَّتِها وحَيٌّ راحلُ

Without your hands, what is kingdom

But a flimsy bond, and the pillar of a leaning tent?

ما المُلْكُ دونَ يديكَ إلاّ عُرْوَةٌ

مفصُومَةٌ وعَمودُ سَمْكٍ مائل

So let them leave your lofty path,

For you have a way between planets.

فليتركوا أعلى طريقِكَ إنّهُ

لكَ مَسْلَكٌ بين الكواكبِ سابل

The barefoot were compelled, and passed

Harshly over the ground, while you flew over high deserts.

قد أُكِرهَ الحافي فمَرّ على الثَّرَى

رَسْفاً وطار على القَتادِ النّاعل

All the generous of the waste are only speakers

Of generosity, while you alone are its doer.

كلُّ الكِرامِ من البَريّةِ قائِلٌ

في المكرماتِ وأنتَ وحدَكَ فاعل

If your justice did not abandon lovers,

No passion in lovers or nightingales would remain unsated.

لو أنّ عَدْلكَ للأحِبّةِ لم تَبِتْ

بالعاشقينَ صَبابةٌ وبلابل

You witnessed war in your youth, when none

Other than yourself fought for yourself zealously.

فتركْتَ أرضَ الزّابِ لا يأسَى أبٌ

لابنٍ ولا تَبْكي البُعولَ حلائلُ

And the realm was then a swaying banner,

Borne by the winds, with none but you to carry it.

ولقد شهِدتَ الحرْبَ فيها يافِعاً

إذ لا بنفسِكَ غيرُ نفسكَ صائل

You followed your father’s course, that prominent one,

And inherited your father’s sword, that resolver.

والمُلْكُ يومئِذٍ لواءٌ خاِفقٌ

يَلقَى الرّياحَ وليسَ غيرُكَ حامل

Days when no tribes were drawn to you,

Nor cares burdened you.

فسَعَيْتَ سَعيَ أبيكَ وهو المُعتَلي

وورِثْتَ سْيفَ أبيكَ وهو القاصل

You reddened it when scarcely a hand or fingers

Could wield it, so ambitions stretched to encompass it.

أيّامَ لم تُضْمَم إليكَ مَضارِبٌ

منه ولم تَقْلُصْ عليك حَمائل

One who guaranteed a portion of his people

Was generous, but you guarantee every portion.

فخضَبْتَهُ إذ لا تَكادُ تَهُزُّهُ

حتى تَنُوءَ بهِ يَدٌ وأنامِل

When resolved, every valley has heaps of dead,

And when angry, every mountain pass is blocked.

وافَى بنانَ الكفِّ وهي أصاغِرٌ

فسَطَتْ به الهِمّاتُ وهي جلائل

When distant, everything is imperfect,

And when near, everything complete.

من كان يَكفُلُ شُعْبَةً من قومهِ

كرَماً فأنْتَ لكُلِّ شَعْبٍ كافل

God created the barren earth,

While the places you tread on it become settled.

فإذا حللت فكل واد ممرع

وإذا ظعنت فكل شِعب ماحل

He created mankind, and among them Ja'far stood out

With his family, and every living thing is indebted to him.

وإذا بَعُدْتَ فكلُّ شيءٍ ناقِصٌ

وإذا قَرُبْتَ فكلُّ شيءٍ كامل

If you were not virtuous, your numbers would not decrease,

Just as the solitary stars are few.

خَلَقَ الإلهُ الأرضَ وهي بلاقعٌ

ومكانُ مَا تَطَأونَ منها آهِل

وبرا الملوكَ فجادَ منهم جعفَرٌ

وبنو أبِيهِ وكلُّ حَيٍّ باخل

لو لم تَطِيبُوا لم يَقِلَّ عَديدُكُم

وكذاكَ أفْرادُ النُّجومِ قلائل